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Show THE THREE-RING CIRCUS 219 volved. It was his assertion that S. 75 protected the interests of both Arizona and California. Malone took the floor to plead again for Supreme Court adjudication by passage of the California-Nevada Supreme Court resolutions, and reminded the senators that it was not known whether there was any water for the Central Arizona Project.315 Senator Cain rose to announce he would vote against S. 75 because President Truman had appointed a com- mission to study and report on reclamation policies, including the issues in the bill.316 Another reason for his opposition, said Cain, was that S. 75 was a "blank-check delegation of power to administrative officers" in the Interior Department. S. 75 did not state the cost of the project and fixed no repayment period other than "the useful life of the project, as determined by the Secretary of Interior, with no control by the Congress." Kefauver took the floor to speak in favor of S. 75, and declared that the project would permit 200,000 people in Arizona to sustain themselves.317 Next rose Senator Millikin to give aid and comfort to Arizona, and made a plea for the bill on the ground that it would permit adjudication of the controversy.318 McFarland had the last word, and it was to the effect that unless the project were authorized there could be no justiciable issue which would permit the court to consider the controversy. The time for debate had expired, and the consider- ation of amendments was begun. The first to be con- sidered was offered by Downey and Knowland, and it prohibited the building of Bridge Canyon Dam until upstream works to protect the dam had been authorized. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 56 to 29. |
